Plant Genomics Approaches to Adapt Plants to a Changing Climate and Environment
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This course aims to provide students with basic and advanced knowledge of production, use and cultivation of genetically modified plants as a strategy to mitigate the effects of environmental change understood as:
-climate change
-growth of the world population
-nutritional deficiencies in developing countries
-food security
-anthropization
The course includes topics like genome editing and biodiversity exploitation techniques suitable for plant improvement.
-climate change
-growth of the world population
-nutritional deficiencies in developing countries
-food security
-anthropization
The course includes topics like genome editing and biodiversity exploitation techniques suitable for plant improvement.
Expected learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will have acquired the fundamental concepts underlying plant genome manipulation and applications of these technologies in the context of developing solutions to adapt cultivated plants to environmental changes.
The student will acquire theoretical and practical tools to independently identify which molecular strategies can be used to modify or transfer characters of different complexity into plants.
The student will acquire theoretical and practical tools to independently identify which molecular strategies can be used to modify or transfer characters of different complexity into plants.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The teaching program includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:
. Introduction to plant biotechnology and genome editing for sustainable agriculture in response to climate change
. Plant breeding: selection, crossing, mutagenesis, importance of biodiversity conservation
. Genetically modified plants: differences between breeding and genetic engineering
. In vitro cultures of plant cells, tissues and organs
. Transformation methods (Agrobacterium tumefaciens, in vitro transformation, shotgun)
. design of the transgenic construct
. Regulation of gene expression: identification and use of constitutive, inducible, tissue- and cell-specific promoters
. Selection markers and reporter genes (use and implications)
. Overexpression and silencing: constructs for gene silencing (antisense RNA and interference)
. "Genome Editing" techniques and their applications in plant biotechnology
Zinc Finger
Talen
CRISPR Cas9 and the evolution of the technology
. Programs for the design of Genome Editing constructs, sequence analysis for the evaluation of mutation induction
. Strategies for adapting plants to water stress, problem framing, and functional genomics solutions to improve the resilience of plant species.
. Strategies for adapting plants to high temperatures.
. Transgenic plants for herbicide resistance, Roundup Ready Soybeans
. Plant biofortification: modification of provitamin A content: golden rice
. Phytic acid and mineral biofortification.
. Legislative aspects of the regulation of genetic manipulation in plants.
The course includes 16 hours of single-place laboratory exercises on topics covered in the course
. Introduction to plant biotechnology and genome editing for sustainable agriculture in response to climate change
. Plant breeding: selection, crossing, mutagenesis, importance of biodiversity conservation
. Genetically modified plants: differences between breeding and genetic engineering
. In vitro cultures of plant cells, tissues and organs
. Transformation methods (Agrobacterium tumefaciens, in vitro transformation, shotgun)
. design of the transgenic construct
. Regulation of gene expression: identification and use of constitutive, inducible, tissue- and cell-specific promoters
. Selection markers and reporter genes (use and implications)
. Overexpression and silencing: constructs for gene silencing (antisense RNA and interference)
. "Genome Editing" techniques and their applications in plant biotechnology
Zinc Finger
Talen
CRISPR Cas9 and the evolution of the technology
. Programs for the design of Genome Editing constructs, sequence analysis for the evaluation of mutation induction
. Strategies for adapting plants to water stress, problem framing, and functional genomics solutions to improve the resilience of plant species.
. Strategies for adapting plants to high temperatures.
. Transgenic plants for herbicide resistance, Roundup Ready Soybeans
. Plant biofortification: modification of provitamin A content: golden rice
. Phytic acid and mineral biofortification.
. Legislative aspects of the regulation of genetic manipulation in plants.
The course includes 16 hours of single-place laboratory exercises on topics covered in the course
Prerequisites for admission
A good level of understanding of Mendelian genetics and the fundamentals of molecular genetics is highly recommended.
Teaching methods
Lectures and practical training in the laboratory. Active participation in the course is highly encouraged for a better understanding of the topics. During the course, some topics will be explored in depth through seminars/lectures presented by experienced researchers in the field. Discussion and self-assessment are planned during the course. 16 hours of the course will be dedicated to practical training in the classroom (2 hours: use of simple sequence programs and in silico cloning, analysis of Sanger sequencing chromatograms) and in the laboratory (14 hours) where different techniques on the topics concerning the course will be applied.
Teaching Resources
During the course, an updated bibliography of the topics covered will be provided consisting of original publications, reviews and websites that will serve as an in-depth study of the information provided through the presentations and videos proposed during lessons. PDF of the slides and all course materials will be made available on the ARIEL site.
Reference text for a general introduction to the topic: "Biotechnology and Plant Genomics" Rosa Rao and Antonietta Leone, Ed. Idelson-Gnocchi "
Protocols for the proposed techniques will be provided during the practical training sessions.
Reference text for a general introduction to the topic: "Biotechnology and Plant Genomics" Rosa Rao and Antonietta Leone, Ed. Idelson-Gnocchi "
Protocols for the proposed techniques will be provided during the practical training sessions.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Learning assessment consists of an oral test in which the lecturers will ask the students questions on the topics covered during the course. Both the knowledge of the techniques described and seen during the lectures and the practical training and the case studies presented will be assessed.
BIO/18 - GENETICS - University credits: 6
Practicals: 16 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Di Marzo Maurizio, Gregis Veronica
Professor(s)